Sainsbury’s is tapping into the growing appetite for festive novelty with the launch of its first-ever mince pie advent calendar, priced at £20.

The Taste the Difference Mini Mince Pie Advent Calendar will go on sale from 01 November, as part of the supermarket’s wider Christmas 2026 range.

Behind each door, shoppers will find a mini mince pie, with the calendar bringing together four varieties: Viennese Whirl, All Butter, Brandy, and Port & Brown Butter.

It forms part of Sainsbury’s broader seasonal push, which includes more than 330 new Christmas products across food, drink and gifting.

The supermarket is also expanding its premium festive offer with products including a pistachio panettone, limoncello tiramisu and a range of new desserts under its Taste the Difference brand.

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Sainsbury’s has continued to broaden its mince pie offer alongside the new calendar, with its existing range including standard, all-butter and mini mince pies under both its core and Taste the Difference ranges.

The move comes as supermarkets increasingly use limited-edition and novelty formats to differentiate their seasonal ranges and encourage shoppers to trade up during the key Christmas trading period.

Tesco, M&S, Morrisons, Asda and Sainsbury’s are all placing heavy emphasis on party food, premium sharing products and easy entertaining, with launches ranging from ’nduja pigs in blankets and lobster dishes to charcuterie, indulgent desserts and ready-to-cook festive meals.

The clearest theme is, unsurprisingly, affordable indulgence. Retailers are using premium ingredients such as Wagyu, lobster, truffle and Champagne to create restaurant-style products at supermarket price points, while continuing to push promotions and accessible own-label options.